Chapter 11 Substance Abuse

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Chapter 11Substance Abuse
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What substances are of concern?
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Examples of Substances that are abusedAlcohol
(legal), marijuana, heroin, cocaine, crack
cocaine, LSD, over-the-counter drugs,
prescription drugs
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Why is substance abuse a concern in construction?
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Substance abusers pose a threat to safety for
themselves and others
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Substance abuse became an issue of concern in the
construction industry in the mid-1980s Before
1985, very few firms were conducting any drug
testing on their projects
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What is the extent of drug use in the
construction industry?
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It has been estimated that in the regular
population about 10 of the workforce regularly
abuses drugs. In construction, the estimates are
higher, perhaps being as high as 20. The
percentages vary considerably in different parts
of the country.
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Drug use is associated with increased injury
incidence, more absenteeism, higher turnover,
more illnesses, more crime, lower productivity
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It will depend on the specific drug if the use or
abuse away from the job will actually compromise
safety on the job. It will depend on timing.
Some substances are essentially fully metabolized
in a matter of a few hours.
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When drug testing was first discussed in the
construction industry, organized labor staunchly
opposed worker testing, claiming it was a
violation of an individuals rights
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Unions have since changed their attitude to a
great extent and it is now common for drug
testing to be included in labor agreements
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How are drug tests conducted?
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Firms are increasingly using on the spot tests
that give results within 5 minutes (positive
results are not generally considered conclusive
until confirmed by an independent laboratory)
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When samples are sent to the laboratory for
analysis, chain of custody is very important. It
is vital that the samples of different
individuals not be switched.
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What are the different types of drug testing?
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Pre-employment screening
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Random drug testing How often? What percentage
of the workers are tested? What about the
salaried personnel?
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Post-accident drug testing Test the worker that
was injured and any other workers who may have
been in a position to contribute to the accident
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Reasonable cause drug testing Based on worker
behavior and physical evidence
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Blanket or periodic testing Rarely employed as
this results in every worker being tested
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What is the result of a positive drug test? Most
firms will terminate or suspend. There is little
attention given to rehabilitation.
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Are Pre-Employment Drug Screening Tests Conducted?
Recordable Injury Rate
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Are Random Drug Tests Conducted?
Recordable Injury Rate
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Does the Firm Conduct Pre-Employment Screening,
Random, For Cause, and Post Accident Drug Tests?
Recordable Injury Rate
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Employees Who Tested Positive on Pre-employment
Drug Tests
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Are Random Drug Tests Conducted?
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Drug and Alcohol Testing

• Is blanket drug testing conducted?

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Drug and Alcohol Testing

• Is follow-up drug testing conducted?

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Drug and Alcohol Testing

• During random drug testing, what percentage of
  the workforce is tested?

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What Percent of the Random Drug Tests are Positive
Recordable Injury Rate
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